Evangelion: Provenance - Chronicle One
by melange
Summary: Tells of events 15 years before the start of eva...
1. Contact

  
A tall Japanese man entered from the watertight doors. Crouching to  
avoid the low ceiling, he walked over to the tactical command station  
and asked, "What's the status of the submarine?"  
  
"The Senoy is approaching the North Pole at 4.3 knots. ETA in 10.58  
hours!" Responded an officer manning the navigation console.  
  
"Distance?"  
  
"45.65 nautical miles!"  
  
"Can't we go any faster?"  
  
"Negative. The cargo is too heavy."  
  
The Japanese man straightened as much as he could in the crammed  
compartment of the submarine, thinking, Damn this thing. Even three  
Los Angeles class submarines can only herd it along slowly.  
  
He did a visual sweep of the room, noting the professionalism of the   
officers and men, some in military uniform and others dressed in the  
white civilian attire that befitted a research center more than a   
submarine.  
  
His eyes catch the gaze of a Navy officer, the commanding officer of  
the submarine wolfpack, sitting in the control chair. The two lock  
gazes. The Japanese man caught a hint of hostility in those blue  
Caucasian eyes, thinking, This man... is a difficult one.  
  
"Dr. Katsuragi?" The officer began.  
  
"Yes, Admiral?"  
  
"I don't appreciate the idea of your organization using MY submarines  
on this... 'research' mission."  
  
Dr. Katsuragi sighed, sure that the admiral had been told dozens of  
times before during the briefing what he was about to say.  
  
"I assure you, Admiral McKay, this is merely a temporary reassignment  
from the UN."  
  
The admiral half growled, "I am aware of that... though i don't have  
to like it."  
  
"As long as we get to finish this run I will be grateful to you...  
Admiral."  
  
The old sea dog huffed and lapsed into silence, eyes still trained on   
Dr. Katsuragi's. This isn't the first time the US Navy has been   
coerced into becoming scientific babysitters... They did that on my   
first cruise... His eyes drifted across the room. And they had to   
send Japs. Don't they know Japs make my skin crawl?  
  
Then he stiffened slightly after making out on Katsuragi's shirt,   
below the tag titled 'Dr. Katsuragi Kenji', a symbol. It was something   
he thought had seen before. He made out the light outline of an   
inverted triangle, but the rest of it was not clear to his eyes.  
  
Instantaneously, McKay's thoughts ranged back twenty years to an   
incident when he was a midshipman. It was at the Red Sea... He  
shuddered at the memory and turned his eyes from Katsuragi Kenji.  
  
Seeing that the Admiral wasn't going to continue their conversation,  
Kenji looked around the room. His men were occupying the main  
positions, but if things turned violent...  
  
...It could be worse than the Red Sea debacle...  
  
Kenji shook the thought from his head and sighed. He leaned over the   
console of one of his operators and asked, "Are the other two  
submarines in tandem with the Senoy?"  
  
The operator looked up at Kenji, his right hand placed over the  
headphones of the sonar device. Before him lay the sonar display. Two  
blips of equal size blinked intermittently, marking the positions of  
the other two submarines. Between them was a long, unidentified series  
of blips.  
  
"Yes, Dr Katsuragi. The Sansenoy and the Semangeloph are matching our  
speed perfectly."  
  
"Good. We don't want to jeopardize the cargo."  
  
**********************************************************************  
  
*Early 1999*  
  
*Beneath the rolling waves*  
  
Water. Icy cold water. It filled the blue ocean, turning darker and   
darker as it slid deeper into the depths. Submerged beneath the  
rolling waves of the Greenland Sea, under the thick layer of frozen  
ice which spreads over the North Pole, the montrous bulk of the USS   
Senoy inched its way. On the foremast was painted the American flag   
and the UN logo. Its surface was a dull metallic gray, smooth except   
for four red extrusions on the bow and stern.  
  
Not too far away to the Senoy's left was the USS Sansenoy, beneath  
them was the USS Semangeloph. Being sister ships, both were the same  
as the Senoy, also outfitted with the four queer appendages on their   
sides.  
  
The red extensions were made of reinforced steel, late 20th century's  
finest metallurgy. Doubly coated with antifreeze paint to prevent them  
from becoming brittle in the chilling water, they played out of the  
three submarines intersecting each other at the absolute middle   
between the three crafts. Together they held a long pole, its  
thickness nearly outspanning its three guardians. Red in color, it  
looked like it was made of two interwined cables. Double blades  
protruded from its front quarter.  
  
The Lance of Longinius.  
  
**********************************************************************  
  
Kenji looked up as an operator cried out, "The... the sensors are   
going haywire. The water samples... it's red!"  
  
Red. Like blood. Just as was foretold. Thought Katsuragi.  
  
Just then, warning bells sounded on the Senoy, signaling an  
unidentified object drawing near.  
  
"There's an object in the distance... 5.4 nautical miles... on top of   
the North Pole..."  
  
"What is it?" Asked the Admiral.  
  
"Unfamiliar sir. The sonar signature is unlike any we've seen...  
Wait..."  
  
The operator shouted as he saw a few more blips appear... then a whole  
avalanche of blips. He stopped, eyes growing wide, shocked by the  
intensity and coverage of the dots bursting out on his sonar screen.  
They were spread over a one-mile radius, in an oddly humanoid-shaped  
distribution. "Dr. Katsuragi!" He turned towards Kenji as Kenji  
stepped up to look.  
  
Katsuragi wore a pensive expression when he saw what was flashing on  
the sonar display. Behind him, Admiral McKay shouted, "Take evasive  
action! Don't collide with it!"  
  
"No. Target the object and proceed." Kenji intoned softly.  
  
McKay turned on him, his face red with fury and disbelief.  
  
"What? Are you crazy? Are you going to waste my precious submarines in  
a headlong charge at... at... at that thing??" Hollered the Admiral.  
  
"Yes."  
  
"You're nuts! Turn this thing around!" McKay ordered.  
  
"I'm so sorry, but that's my decision."  
  
McKay blinked at Kenji, anger begining to boil, his voice to   
escalating, "I'm the commander of this task force and I'll decide..."  
  
Just then, Kenji interjected, "You forget, Admiral McKay, on THIS   
mission, by order of the UN, my authority outranks yours..."  
  
Caught by the truth in that statement, McKay fell silent but his eyes  
still defiantly stared at Kenji who couldn't help noticing McKay's  
unusually white knuckles gripping the seat.  
  
**********************************************************************  
  
The three submarines bore down on a white humanoid shape lying on the  
bottom of the ocean, churning up the red liquid as they approached.  
The liquid snaked and quivered as its natural current was disturbed.  
Spreading for miles around the creature were numerous formations of  
white rock that looked like uncountable gravestones. Some of these  
had already collapsed and the monster's arms and legs were trapped by   
these fallen rocks, making it appear... dormant.  
  
Suddenly, on what may be called its head, two dull lights like  
lanterns glowed, as if sensing... intruders...  
  
**********************************************************************  
  
"An energy reading!"  
  
"Where is it?!" Asked Kenji, concerned.   
  
The operator responded, "At... its very middle!"  
  
Kenji hesitated for a minute. The power source? Is that it?  
  
Kenji bent down and whispered to an operator manning a unique console,  
a type never usually seen on a submarine. "Prepare the containment  
apparatus, Tatsuta."  
  
Tatsuta nodded as he replied, "Yes..."  
  
Satisfied, Kenji straightened then announced loudly to the rest of the  
room, "Set a course... ram the cargo into the energy reading!"  
  
Just a few steps behind him, McKay bit his lip hard.  
  
**********************************************************************  
  
The submarines altered their course slightly, aiming the Lance of   
Longinius straight at the glowing red orb that just grew out of the   
monster's abdomen. Their's engines' straining as fast as they could,   
the submarines raced towards the hellish globe.  
  
**********************************************************************  
  
After pressing the required controls, the navigation operator   
reported, "Course adjustments made!"  
  
The communications officer also reported, "The Sansenoy and the   
Semangeloph confirm course adjus- "  
  
Before she could finish her sentence a dull click interrupted her. The  
officer looked up from her console and gasped, dropping her  
underwater telephone microphone with a clunk on the floor.  
  
"I'm sorry, I can't allow you to do this..."  
  
Kenji turned towards the sound of the voice, only to find McKay's  
standard issue pistol pointed at him.  
  
"Admiral..."  
  
"We're not going to do this madness... Turn the submarines back."  
  
McKay said to the civilian navigation officer, who stood dumbfounded   
by the unraveling turn of events. The officer looked questioningly   
from the muzzle of the gun to Kenji, who merely said, "You know your   
duty, Mikasuki..."  
  
McKay's gun hand trembled slightly, then he steeled himself and shot  
a warning shot, then trained the pistol back on Kenji in a lightning   
fast reflex action. the bullet bored itself through the wooden writing   
pad on Mikasuki's console, splintering it.  
  
"I said turn them around!" McKay's voice, at first calm and cold  
began to grow brittle and break.  
  
Kenji breathed in deeply then said, "I'm sorry... no. You don't  
understand the importance of this mission."  
  
"Importance? Important enough to risk five hundred seamen in your  
kamikaze charge?"  
  
Kenji ground his teeth then replied, "Yes."  
  
McKay looked at him in disbelief, voice trailling away.   
  
"Why is this mission so important?"  
  
"That... is classified."  
  
"Classified? Do you mean you expect me to sit back and enjoy the   
ride?" McKay asked sarcastically.  
  
"Yes. I expect you to trust my judgement."  
  
At that, McKay chuckled coldly, "Trust? That's a mighty fine word you   
throw at me. I? Trust a Jap? I haven't forgotten my father's death at  
Pearl Harbot..."  
  
McKay's voice dropped into a steely whisper, "I'll be damned if I'm   
going to sacrifice my men, my boats and my LIFE to your crazy   
kamikaze manuveurs!"  
  
Kenji fell silent, watching the muzzle of the pistol waver in front of   
him, his hands twitching slightly, inching towards a fold beneath his   
shirt. McKay was panting from his outburst, but he gathered his   
strength and once again he turned and yelled at the frightened   
Mikasuki.  
  
"Now... turn the subs around!!!"  
  
**********************************************************************  
  
The standoff on board the Senoy still unresolved, the submarines were  
merely minutes away from the creature.  
  
As the spear drew nearer, the orb began to pulsate. Its locked forces  
began to quiver as they sensed the nearing threat. The spear that  
would destroy them.  
  
The double tip of the Lance of Longinius crept closer and closer...  
and then stopped as if it hit a solid wall. An octagonal shaped field  
had formed right in front of it, barring its advance...  
  
**********************************************************************  
  
Everyone in the control room was thrown forward when the submarine  
jolted as if it had hit something. Red lights filled the room as   
sensors indicated a collision. Kenji nearly lost his balance but  
gripped a nearby console for support. Admiral McKay was caught on the  
wrong footing. He stumbled and fell, index finger inadverdantly   
depressing the trigger.   
  
The shot misfired, ricocheting off the walls, only to wound Mikasuki  
in the shoulder. The officer grunted as he banged his wound against  
the console, right hand coming up to clutch his left shoulder, fresh  
blood oozing from the wound. Before McKay could recover, as he was   
still bringing himself to his feet, he heard another dull click.  
McKay turned his head and saw Kenji, a part of his shirt undone  
revealing an empty holster, pointing a mini-pistol at him.   
  
"I'm sorry Admiral Johnation McKay, but you will not jeopardize this   
mission."  
  
McKay stared at the muzzle of the gun as another tremor shuddered the  
submarine and laughed bitterly.  
  
"Mission? Feels more like a suicide..."  
  
Kenji disregarded the comment and nodded at two white clad men,   
saying, "You two... restrain him."  
  
The two men stepped forward and grab McKay's arms. McKay struggled  
but they forced him to his knees.   
  
"You... you won't get away with this, Katsuragi!" McKay yelled, face  
flushed with anger. Just then a greater tremble ran through the sub,   
making everyone brace themselves against something once again.  
  
Recovering his balance, Kenji yelled, "Whats going on?!?"  
  
"We... We've stopped moving! Something is blocking the path of the  
cargo!" Mikasuki says as he clawed his way back up to his console.  
  
"Damn it! Get the engines to give everything they've got!"  
  
As Katsuragi Kenji said that, the submarine shuddered again... and  
again.  
  
**********************************************************************  
  
The field strained against the sharp tips of the spear. Even with the  
engines going at full power, the submarines were unable to push the  
spear any closer. A few of the red extensions began to bend, the force  
growing too strong for them.  
  
Suddenly the spear glowed with a queer dull, red light. Its two tips   
twisted and wrapped together forming a single lance and started to   
push slowly through the field. The field's coherency began to collapse  
as its center was being torn apart by the spear.  
  
Just then, a scream resounded through the water. An uneartly female  
scream. Its sonic front a visible white wave in the dark red water. It  
rippled out from the creature. The wave crashed into the submarines...  
flowing around them, over them, past them and through them.  
  
**********************************************************************  
  
*Magnetic Resonance Monitering Station*  
  
*Iceland*  
  
"Sir! Come take a look at this!"  
  
A grumpy looking man sighed as he got up from his comfortable seat  
and stumbled to his subordinate who was waving so excitedly that it  
looked like his pants were on fire. Grumpy gulped down the lukewarm   
coffee before taking his feet off the table and walking over.  
  
"What is it this time, Lewis? Mistook radio inteference for another  
Earth-shaking event?"  
  
"No sir! This time its for real!"  
  
"Yea yea and I'm Einstein... Holy Jehosaphat!"  
  
The coffee mug shattered on the floor, its pieces scattering over the  
now coffee stained tiles. Grumpy was no longer amused, voice quivering  
he asked, "Did you tune the measuring apparatus properly?"  
  
"Yes, Mr Clark, sir..." A voice which slowly pattered out answered   
him. The two of them watched with foreboding as the needle scribbled  
thick, dense and long lines on the graph paper.  
  
********************************************************************** 


	2. Containment

  
'And over the capital the weather forecast is light showers in the  
evening... Now a news flash. There's still no concrete development in  
the investigation of reports of a magnetic disturbance at the North   
Pole two weeks ago. In other news, the Chinese government has warned   
that further acquisition of jet fighters by Taiwan from the United   
States could stall talks on...'  
  
Click.  
  
The radio is switched off. A gray haired man sighed as he stood up  
from his desk. Putting on his white lab coat, he walked out of his  
office and into the compound of Kyoto University. The melodious  
chirping of the birds made him smile slightly. At least there's some  
who feel at peace.  
  
"Professor! Professor Fuyutsuki!"  
  
Fuyutsuki turned around, wondering who was calling him. Seeing it was  
his biology class students, he ventures a slight smile. Although  
university policy was for the faculty to be accessable to students,  
Fuyutsuki would rather slink off home to rest.  
  
"Oh, its you guys."  
  
His two students stood there grinning at him. Recalling their faces  
from the mob he had taught, Fuyutsuki remembered mentally pinning the  
word 'slackers' under their pictures.  
  
"Professor... How about having a beer by the Kamogawa river?"  
  
Fuyutsuki looked into the expectant eyes of his students, wondering  
how they managed to brim with all that energy. He frowned slightly  
when he heard the combination of 'beer' and 'Kamogawa river'.  
  
"Again?"  
  
"Ryouko and the rest of the girls say they'll come if you'll come."  
was the reply.  
  
Another student butted in, "The dean also says you should come out   
more often."  
  
Fuyutsuki's look softened a bit. Well... university policy is   
university policy... might as well have a little fun while I'm at it.  
  
"Alright. I'll see..."  
  
**********************************************************************  
  
Fuyutsuki watched his students talking animatedly to each other. The  
boys bragging like there's no tomorrow, trying to impress the opposite  
sex. Some of the girls giggled. But to Fuyutsuki it all seemed a  
raucous affair.  
  
He sighed, twirling the drink he held in his hand. He sat at the  
counter, some distance from his students. His age was the main barrier  
here, because of it, he felt more like a chaperone than a member of  
the crowd.  
  
"Is the professor always like that?" Whispered one of the girls.  
  
"Yea..." Replied the boy who had invited Fuyutsuki. "He was like that  
the last time as well."  
  
"How boring..."  
  
Overhearing their conversation but not minding, Fuyutsuki took in  
another sip. They had tried to invite him to join their table earlier,  
but he had politely declined. Fuyutsuki was about to order another  
drink when a hush fell behind him, then a soft murmuring.  
  
"Say... isn't that..."  
  
"Yes... I thought he was on leave or something."  
  
A multitude of soft whispering began. Before Fuyutsuki could turn to   
see who was the object of attention, a voice on his left asked,   
"Professor Fuyutsuki? May I sit here?"  
  
"Oh! Dr Katsuragi-san!"  
  
Fuyutsuki began to get up to greet Katsuragi Kenji, but Kenji laid a   
friendly hand on his shoulder, smiling.  
  
"There's no need for such formality among friends, Kouzou."  
  
"Well... I guess so, Kenji."  
  
"So how have you been?"  
  
"Not bad. My students keep me busy though... always dragging me for   
drinks here." Fuyutsuki joked but stops laughing when he saw Kenji's  
tired eyes. Concerned, Fuyutsuki asks, "Kenji, are you okay? You seem   
tired..."  
  
"Yea..." Kenji tossed his head then tries to smile. "You're not the   
only one who's being kept busy you know!"  
  
Fuyutsuki wore a feeble smile then turned back to his drink. Kenji  
looked at him, then glanced back at the noisy students.  
  
"You know, Kouzou..."  
  
"Hmm...?"  
  
"It's not bad to drink outside, given the opportunity."  
  
"Well..."  
  
"You're talented, though it's not good for you to underestimate the  
importance of communication between people..."  
  
Kenji swung his glass up and gulped down the whole glass of bear, his  
eyes suddenly focused on something far away. "Like I did..."  
  
Fuyutsuki wasn't sure what to say. He knew of Kenji's family problems.  
All he could manage was...  
  
"I'm sorry..."  
  
And he slipped into silence, staring at his half full glass again.   
Kenji took another glass of bear and sighed. Then he remembered   
something. Turning to Fuyutsuki, he said, "Oh... by the way, there's  
a student who wrote an interesting report on biotechnology."  
  
Fuyutsuki raised an eyebrow as Kenji continued.  
  
"A student named Ikari... Do you know who the student is?"  
  
Fuyutsuki thought for a moment. A student? Named Ikari? Whats the  
relation to Dr. Ikari? He shook his head. "Ikari? No..."  
  
"Well... I told Ikari about you and Ikari said, 'I wish to see him.'  
You will be contacted. Please see the student."  
  
Fuyutsuki nodded as Kenji got up to leave.  
  
"Well, Kouzou, I best be going now. Sayonara."  
  
"Sayonara, Kenji..."  
  
Fuyutsuki pushed his empty glass aside, debating within himself if  
he should order another. He looked up at the sound of the door   
creaking shut as Kenji closed it.  
  
The name is Ikari, hmmm...  
  
**********************************************************************  
  
In the dark alley outside, Kenji stumbles. He leans against his car   
trying to regain his balance. He breathes heavily, clutching his head   
as he feels a dull throbbing pain in his skull.  
  
A series of migraines had been afflicting him ever since he came back   
from the wheezing tin can called USS Senoy. His hands fumbled across   
the side of the car trying to open it. Finally his hand grasps the   
handle and pulls the door open. Kenji flops into his car seat with   
a moan.  
  
Pain... Kenji thought then grunted as he felt it snake into his   
ears. The pain! He clutched harder at his head, nearly tearing his  
last few strands of remaining hair out as he screamed.  
  
"AHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH...."  
  
**********************************************************************  
  
".....AAAAAHHHHHHHHH!!!!!"  
  
Kenji clutched his ears as the scream vibrated in his skull, the   
control room of the submarine swimming in fron of his eyes. The pitch   
of the scream is barely audible in the relatively sheltered room, but   
its force reverberated in his ear drums as if they would burst. He   
loses his balance and falls to the floor. Just barely keeping his eyes   
open, he saw everyone else in the room succumbing to the scream.  
  
The two operators directly in front of him writhed in agony on the  
floor, their hands pressed over their ears, but nothin they did could  
block out the scream. One of them yelled as his ear drums shattered,  
fluid bursting out of his ears as he slumped to the floor unconscious  
... unhearing... spared from the agony... forever.  
  
Behind him, Kenji heard McKay screaming, "Ahh! Katsuragi, you fool!!!  
It's... Ahhh... all your fault!!!"  
  
Kenji's vision grows cloudy as he feels his own ears throbbing more   
and more. He made one last glance at the status screen on Tatsuta's   
console, its owner now lying slump on the floor. A red light flashed   
on it, signalling that the power source was growing more and more   
unstable as the Lance neared it.  
  
Is it going to explode? We're... We're not going to make it...  
  
Kenji suddenly stiffened, the pain too much for him. He screamed in  
agony once more, the pain making his eyes water, further obscuring his  
vision. Then everything went black...  
  
**********************************************************************  
  
  
Kenji opened his eyes... and stared into darkness. The control room  
was gone. The operators were gone. The whining Admiral McKay was gone.  
Nothing. Just nothingness. He stood up and looked around, eyes unable  
to pick out anything in the black haze.  
  
Where am I?  
  
Then... he felt more than heard a sound behind him... a presence. He   
whirls around and gasps. He was staring into the awful splendour of a  
pair of red eyes. Freezing on the spot with fear, he watches as slowly  
the eyes drew nearer, their tragic beauty captivating him, rendering   
him immobile. He watched as slowly a nose... then a face forms in   
front of him, it pale white skin, breathtaking. Long flowing blue hair   
unfurled out of nothingness... and yet the thing had no mouth.  
  
What is this?!?!?!  
  
Terror filled his mind. He screamed... only to realize he had uttered  
no sound. He grimaced as he felt a voice boom through his   
consciousness... through his mind.  
  
{Why do you disturb me?}  
  
Kenji held his head in pain. Each syllable that rolled through his   
mind sent waves of agony coursing from his brain down through his  
spine.  
  
{What are you?}  
  
What are we? What... what do you mean?  
  
{Tell me what you are!!!}  
  
Humans! We are humans!  
  
{Humans? The term is unknown... no matter... You will perish}  
  
A snow-white arm materialized. It extended towards Kenji, who found  
that he was still immobilized, and gripped him tight. Then it began to  
squeeze. The pressue compacted his body and focused on his weakening  
ear drums. He struggled but to no avail, his bones nearing breaking  
point... The creature's strength was too great...  
  
At the same time, a mental feeler plunged into Kenji's brain,   
examining it, twisting and turning in his mind, threatening to wrench  
it out... and throw him into the abyss of insanity; a second pain  
compounded to the first.  
  
Just as he was about to pass out, the grip loosened... the feeler  
halts, then retreats.  
  
{Lilim?} Asks the voice. {Welcome... my brood...}  
  
Kenji's feeble eyes only managed to see the white form disappear   
before the black dots dancing in front of his eyes multiplied and  
thrust him back into darkness.  
  
**********************************************************************  
  
The red liquid was churning as if it was boiling, distrubed by the  
intensity of the scream. All around, the white rock formations began   
to shudder, then shatter into pieces.  
  
The Sansenoy began to buckle and break, the screams strength too much  
for its hull. It implodes, metal scrunched up by the pressure of the  
deep sea in an agonizing wail, sending a great bubble of trapped air  
dotted with fragile human bodies, their dying shrieks unaudible,   
racing to the surface.  
  
The other two submarines held... just barely. The Semangeloph   
shuddered ever more violently, while one of the Senoy's double   
propellers began to fracture. Then... the scream stops... and the  
force field faded away...  
  
Forward impetus not yet dissipated by the strength of the scream, the  
two remaining submarines continued on with their cargo. Even though at  
this depth sunlight is non-existent, a glint shines off the tip of the  
glowing Lance of Longinius as it nears the orb.  
  
The Lance of Longinius pierces the red orb. The energies within   
swirled out into the red liquid, the glow within the orb began to dim.  
The energies twisted in this hostilr environment, seeking a place to  
cling on to. They paused momentarily, then began streaming towards the  
Senoy. They passed through its hull with ease as if being sucked into   
the vessel.  
  
The last wisp of energy disappeared into the Senoy, which without one  
of its propellers crawls to a stop as the Lance buries itself into the  
rock underneath the creature. The Semangeloph, still running at full  
speed without a conscious helmsman guiding it, breaks from the steel  
appendages, twisting them wickedly. It pushes inexorably on...  
straight into the ocean bed...  
  
**********************************************************************  
  
Darkness...  
  
Red glow...  
  
Darkness...  
  
Red light...  
  
Darkness...  
  
Am I alive?  
  
Red glow...  
  
Light...  
  
Blurred sight. Figures dancing in the distance. Two. Female. One   
older, the other merely a teenager. Sharper the image grows, then   
hazy, then more distinct. The figures were smiling, but when they  
notice Kenji, their faces grew sad, mouths drooping. The teenaged   
figure twisted her head to look away, her purple hair lashing the air.  
Vision blurs once again.  
  
Hana?... Misato-chan?  
  
**********************************************************************  
  
Kenji stired. His eyes began to focus. Pushing himself up from his   
prone position on the floor, he shook his head, clearing the cobwebs.  
The room was bathed in pulsating red light. He staggered to his feet,  
holding on to a console for support. He looked down. The console was  
broken.  
  
He cringed as he tried to stand unsupported. His head spun. One of his  
legs was strained.  
  
Containment... Did it work?  
  
He turned to the console where Tatsuta was sitting. He caught   
Tatsuta's unmoving body on the floor next to it before training his  
eyes on the screen. His eyes go wide with astonishment when he saw  
a flashing green light.  
  
With that, Kenji slumped to the floor again.  
  
**********************************************************************  
  
Kenji woke with a start. He found himself slumped on the street next  
to his car. It was... that nightmare again. He felt his head. It was  
no longer throbing. The silence in his head was soothing.   
  
Kenji pulled himself up, hand fumbling across the door. Finally he  
gripped the handle and pulled the door open. He flopped into his car  
seat with a moan. Feebly, Kenji turned the key and started his car.  
  
Better make it home before it comes again.  
  
**********************************************************************  
  



End file.
